Orioles Call Up Big Bat Urrutia

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 30: Chris Davis #19 of the Baltimore Orioles (right) celebrates with teammate Matt Wieters #32 after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 30, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Roch Kubatko from MASN Sports joined The Vinny and Rob Show Friday morning on 105-7 THE FAN to discuss the Oriole’s remaining sixty six games.

Roch Kubatko

The Orioles sit ten games above .500 after the All-Star break and they have now added more fire power to an already potent line-up. Henry Urrutia, currently playing with Triple A Norfolk is batting .365 with 95 hits, encompassing 20 doubles and 7 home runs. Urrutia has also knocked in 43 RBI’s. Roch does not look at this as a huge surprise move by Duquette as Kubatko had this to say about Urrutia “There’s a lot to be impressed by….he’s hitting lefties as well as he’s hitting ‘righties’ and he’s pretty much doing the same thing he’s doing at triple A that he was doing in double A. His defense has improved, his base running has improved, his bats playing, so ya know bring him up and take a look. It gets fans excited.” It is uncertain whether or not Urrutia will be in the starting line-up as Texas is starting a left handed pitcher in Derek Holland.

The Orioles are not only bringing up Urrutia but also Danny Valencia once again. To make room for both players the Orioles are placing Reimold on the DL but have not announced their second move. Roch believes it is once again the neck that is hampering his play and not his hamstring which had him sidelined earlier this season.

Vinny asked Roch whether or not the Orioles still had a chance at adding a big name before the trade deadline but Roch believes the most they will do is add a Bullpen arm. The Oriole’s look to be out of the running for Cub’s pitcher Matt Garza as his agent just reported that the top suitors are Texas, Toronto, LA, and Cleveland. Best case scenario for the Birds is that Garza lands in the National League with the Dodgers. If Garza joins the Blue Jays it could spell trouble for the Orioles if they have to see him three or four times the rest of the season.

In the “second half” the Orioles will look for better production out of Matt Wieters and Jason Hammel. Hammel is 7-6 but has an ERA well over five and has not won a game since May. Wieters has had his own trouble at the plate and would like to get his average up somewhere around the .250 mark. Orioles start a three game series with the Rangers tonight.

(Programming Note: Intern Zach wrote and posted this article as part of his internship program with CBS Baltimore. Zach is a Communications & History major at Loyola University Maryland.)